Newfound Family
by congressmanmabel
Summary: In the midst of Weirdmageddon, Pacifica Northwest discovered an unlikely parental figure she could look up to. After the town is saved, she thinks about a certain hillbilly she grew to care for.
1. Chapter 1

The whole community of Gravity Falls was consumed by chaos and destruction. The triangular beast by the name of Bill Cipher declared his leadership over the Oregon town and unleashed his surreal mania onto its vulnerable inhabitants. Under the hellfire orange sky a multitude of anomalous abominations wreaked havoc on the defenseless town. Innocent people were turned to stone by merciless eyebats, buildings ravaged by flames collapsed, and the once lush-green environment deteriorated into what she could only describe as hell on earth. Within a day's time, the sleepy forested town transformed into an isolated war zone.

The civilians knew that there was no sanctuary from the devastation caused by the outlandish beasts. Even the few stragglers who wandered aimlessly in search of shelter were vulnerable to the abhorrent forces that roamed from above.

Deep past the threshold of the forest, Pacifica Northwest hid in fear. The blonde girl was crouched down within a bush in the hopes that she wouldn't be spotted by the sadistic hell spawns that prowled throughout the town. Her mother, Priscilla Northwest, told her to stay put while she went out to find food at the closest convenient store, reassuring her daughter that she would return to the hiding spot in two hours tops. A whole day had past since she left.

Her father, Preston Northwest, had his face horrifically rearranged by Bill, and was captured by a green monstrosity with 8-Balls for eyes. Noting that her mother had not returned, Pacifica began to fear for the worst. _If both of my parents are gone, then what's going to happen to me?_ She pondered anxiously, the uncertainty of her fate lingering inside her mind. Tears started to spill from her eyes, smearing the mascara and eyeliner to the point of devolving into black blots that nearly blinded her peripheral vision. Her ruined make-up would normally peeve her off to no end, but she was too afraid about the apocalyptic travesty around her to even care about such frivolous matters. She hugged her knees close to her chest, praying that all of this madness would end.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached the bush. The young girl's eyes shot open in terror. Who or what is that? The poor, vulnerable girl squeezed her eyes shut, silently hoping that whoever or whatever was advancing towards her would quickly put her out of her misery.

"Pacifica Northwest?"

The blonde was shocked to hear such a warm and comforting, albeit shrill, voice say her name. Cautiously turning around, she saw a bearded hillbilly sporting green-lens spectacles carrying an olive-green backpack and a knapsack.

"Old Man McGucket?" Pacifica inquired, raising her brow. It was quite odd to see an unlikely familiar face under dire circumstances. She wouldn't have thought someone who generally drew as much attention to himself as he did would have been able to avoid capture by Bill's minions for more than a few hours. Then again, now that she thought about it, he'd been living in the city dump for as long as she could remember so she supposed he must have some survival skills.

McGucket gave the girl a friendly smile as he tipped his tattered brown hat to her. The hillbilly knelt down beside the young blonde and placed his knapsack onto the grass. Untying the yellow sack, he spread out the cloth to reveal several cans of brown meat. McGucket pulled out a Swiss army knife from his overall pocket and stabbed the aluminum can in circular fashion, severing the lid clean. The unkempt man grabbed a worn-out metal spoon from his pocket, dipping it into the meat. He extended the can out to the girl, offering the humble meal to the young aristocrat.

Pacifica was shocked on a number of levels. In this time of disarray, food was scarce to come by and her stomach rumbled for joy at the can that laid before her eyes. But Old Man McGucket, the local kook, was giving her, a member of the infamous Northwest family, a simple can of brown meat. What did she ever do to deserve such a meal in these desperate times. She wanted to believe that this was some kind of cruel joke.

"Why are you giving me food?" She asked skeptically.

"I figured ya might be hungry." McGucket replied, giving her a small, earnest smile.

The blonde girl quizzically inspected the can of brown meat before reluctantly accepting the food. In normal circumstances she would never dare attempt to consume such mediocre cuisine. But her stomach growled in protest, wanting to be satiated with whatever she could digest. Sighing to herself, she gingerly scooped a spoonful of meat with the aged utensil and proceeded to eat. Much to her surprise, the brown meat was serviceable, delectable even. She continued to dig into the can, munching the meat to her heart's content until the can was empty.

Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed a spare handkerchief and proceeded to wipe the meat grease off her mouth. Grateful for the meal that was given to her, she turned to McGucket before voicing her appreciation. "Thank you for the food."

"Yer welcome miss." He nodded with a smile. There was a silent pause between the two. Pacifica was deep in thought, contemplating to herself as she rubbed her arm. _Why is he being so nice to me?_ She pondered. McGucket was also in a contemplative state. He knew that Pacifica had a family, but why was she left all alone in the middle of the woods? The eccentric old man was unaware of the disastrous fates of Preston and Priscilla Northwest and he didn't know whether she was waiting for her family, abandoned by them, or the sole survivor of her kin. He knew that Pacifica would be distraught if he asked, but answers were necessary if he wanted to properly assist her. Drawing a long sigh, he decided to gently approach the dreadful topic.

"So Pacifica, how is it that a precious youngster such as yerself not bein' looked after an' properly cared for?"

Pacifica looked downwards, averting her gaze from the concerned hillbilly before she replied. "My father was captured by some monster yesterday after becoming disfigured, and my mother went out to scavenge for food, but she must have disappeared." The prestigious girl let out a somber sigh. She assumed that the lone traveler would give her some falsified pity for her troubles before continuing on his merry way. However, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Taken aback by the soft reaction, the girl looked up at McGucket. Pacifica looked into his visage behind the green-tinted glasses to discover a mixture of sadness, kindness and sympathy pooling from his eyes.

"I know that ya must be feelin' scared, but I can assure ya that you won't be left by yer lonesome anymore. I'm gonna help ya get through this." McGucket slowly lifted himself up from the ground, carefully inspecting his surroundings from the hiding spot.

"Why are you getting up?" Pacifica questioned, her tone suspicious of the old man's actions.

"Well we can't accomplish anythin' by hidin' out here in the open forever, now can we?" Fiddleford responded, lending his hand out to her. "I was in the midst of searchin' for shelter an' I want you ta come with me. A young girl like you deserves ta be safe from this apocalyptic mess."

The blonde was astonished at what she heard. This man, the town maniac no less, was here to help her. She was unsure if joining him would lead her to any good or uncertain doom, but she knew that accompanying him was far better than hiding in bushes all alone, wallowing in fear. Realizing that this was her only opportunity to reach safety, she pulled her cardigan sleeve over her hand before taking hold of McGucket's hand. The bearded man carefully pulled the blonde girl up onto her feet. After ensuring that the trail ahead of them was clear from any malevolent forces, McGucket gently led Pacifica down the road to asylum.

* * *

As they started their search for shelter, the two were silent, mostly from fear of being spotted by one of Bill's Henchmaniacs. Pacifica wondered if she could truly place her faith on McGucket. The old eccentric was extremely notorious for his reputation as the town fool of Gravity Falls. The local maniac would spend his days ranting and raving at clueless bystanders as well as inventing destructive robots that would run rampant in the streets. The blonde girl glanced upwards at the eccentric hillbilly. She immediately took notice of how calm and determined he looked, especially during an event as chaotic as Weirdmageddon. The old man's eyes were no longer bugged out sideways as usual. Now they were straightened forwards and hardened. He inspected his surroundings, making sure that there was no sign of any dangerous creature or weirdness bubble.

The two companions halted when they heard the cries of a young child.

Slowly and carefully, the unlikely duo crept towards the source of the wailing. They peered from behind a decaying pine tree to discover a small, chubby brown-haired boy leaning against a boulder. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he rubbed the sides of his scraped knee, searching for a way to cease the burning sensation and pain from his wound.

The bearded hillbilly began to walk towards the boy. Pacifica hesitantly followed close behind the hillbilly.

"Hey there lil' fella." McGucket greeted with the same gentle voice he had used to reassure Pacifica. "I see the damage on yer knee, but I'm here ta help, so there's no need ta fret now." He rummaged through his long, dirtied beard and pulled out a small first aid kit. Opening the metal case, he pulled out a half-full tube of antibiotic cream and a box of bandages.

"So tell me, what's yer name?" The man asked politely, his accented voice soft and calming.

"Gour...G-Gourney." The boy answered as a small sob escaped.

"Well Gourney, my name is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket. The lovely young lady next ta me is Pacifica Northwest and we're gonna help ya out."

The blonde girl whipped her head towards McGucket, bewildered at the hillbilly's comment. _How am I going to be of any help?_ She thought quizzically. _I don't have any apocalypse-survival knowledge._ She broke from her musings by the loud thud of the backpack. The old man looked at her as he spoke. "Now Pacifica, I need you to grab a can of meat from this here backpack and cut it open with my knife so that this poor boy can have somethin' ta eat."

Retrieving the Swiss army knife from his pocket, he gently handed the tool to the perplexed girl. Pacifica inspected the knife, trying to find the appropriate blade. Her hands-on experience with tools was virtually non-existent due to her courtly and elitist upbringing, not counting the multitude of fancy eating utensils she had to properly correlate to each appropriate meal. She knew that if she wanted to survive, she had to adapt to the harsh and gritty environment, even if that meant getting her hands dirty. But within the myriad of different tools, she was able to find the appropriate knife. She grabbed the first can of meat she could find inside the bag and went to work. It took Pacifica a couple of pathetic attempts before she punctured a hole in the can. She deeply concentrated on the task of carving a circle, which took longer than she expected.

While she was cutting, she overheard Fiddleford calmly treating the poor boy's knee scrape, pacifying the child with soothing words as he carefully applied the cream on the injury. Gourney held back his weeping when he felt the stinging sensation on his knee, the medication taking action against the scrape. Once the cream was spread out, Fiddleford began to take out a large adhesive bandage.

"Now yer not allergic ta any adhesives or latex are ya?" The hillbilly asked softly. Gourney shook his head while humming a "nuh-uh". Fiddleford opened up the bandage and gently placed it over the boy's knee scrape.

"There ya go!" He proclaimed. "Now yer knee is safe from infection!"

Fortunately, Pacifica was able to sever the lid from the top of the can and offered the food to Gourney. "Here you go." She told the boy. "I don't know how you feel about brown meat, but I'm sure you need it."

Gourney took the can and inspected it. Taking a small spoonful of meat into his mouth and placed it in his mouth, carefully chewing the meat before swallowing it. He instantly felt relieved that he was eating after suffering from starvation for so long. He starting eating at a faster pace to satiate his grumbling stomach. The boy felt relieved after finishing the canned meal. He noticed the old man and the blonde girl were still beside him.

Gourney was at a loss for words. The poor boy was separated from his family ever since Weirdmageddon began and was fearful that he would get captured by one of Bill's minions. However, these two kind souls arrived to help during his time of need, offering him medical care and nourishment. Tears of gratefulness welled in his eyes. The boy rushed towards the two and hugged them.

"Thank you so much." Gourney sniffled, his voice muffled in Pacifica's purple cardigan. She was taken aback by the boy's kind words. _All I did was open up a lousy can of meat, it's not like I saved him from one of the monsters or anything of the sort._ But after moments of reflection, she realized that he must have been starving for over a day and was relieved that she gave him something to eat. _Perhaps I did do some good by feeding the kid._

The girl glanced over at Fiddleford, who knelt down to the boy and returning his embrace. Pacifica decided to mimic the hillbilly's actions as she wrapped her left arm around the thankful child. She felt personal satisfaction helping this boy. She sensed the wave of determination flooding within her, discovering what she could be capable of in terms of helping other survivors. As the world crumbled around her, Pacifica felt invigorated by her newfound sense of conviction.

As the boy was released from the embrace, an idea popped into Fiddleford's mind. He decided to address his plan to the two children. "I was thinkin' that we would be able to find shelter over at the Mystery Shack since it's the closest landmark in Gravity Falls. An' since it's located in the woods an' faraway from the town center, I assume that it wouldn't be damaged."

"Sounds like a safe bet." Pacifca agreed. _Perhaps Dipper and Mabel are safe there._ She mused optimistically. Gourney also nodded, but was distracted by his bandaged knee. The blonde took note of the pained expression on the boy's face.

"Are you able to walk?" Pacifica asked, her voice soothing with concern. The boy shook his head.

"Alright then, how would you like a piggy-back ride?" Fiddleford offered.

"Okay!" Gourney replied, giving him a wide smile. Pacifica had to admit that seeing the boy happy was first wonderful sight she saw in a long while.

"Pacifica, could ya carry the survival packs for me while I carry Gourney?" Fiddleford asked, dropping his backpack and knapsack on the ground.

The blonde girl nodded at the bearded man. She knelt to the ground and picked up the baggage, surprised that she could even lift the heavy pack with all of the survival tools inside. She secured the backpack on her shoulders before grabbing the knapsack and heaving it over her right shoulder. Fiddleford bent down, allowing the boy to properly grip his small arms around his aged shoulders before standing up as high as his bony, bowed legs would tolerate.

"You ready Pacifca?" He asked.

"You know it." She responded, flashing a confident smile.

"Let's do this." Fiddleford affirmed, leading her on the trail to safety.

* * *

During their journey, the ragtag trio came across many survivors, both human and supernatural, and invited to join them in their search for the Mystery Shack. They were first approached by Candy Chiu, who hid herself on a large tree branch. Not long afterwards, they discovered Grenda and Sheriff Blubs, who were attempting to cook a squirrel over a fire and were relieved to see the brown meat offered to them. They said that Mayor Tyler Cutebiker and Manly Dan Corduroy were previously with them, but went missing. Later on, the group was approached by two teenage girls, a blonde trucker, a tattooed biker and the U.S.A. guy, all of whom barely escaped the wrath of a giant Gompers.

There was also a good number of supernatural creatures that joined the struggling pack. They first discovered a group of gnomes, one of which was half-petrified in stone. The colony of pointy-hatted men was in search of protection from the Oddpocalyptic onslaught. Not long afterwards, the group came across the Lilputtians. After the anthropomorphic golf balls gave Pacifica a sincere apology for the mini-golf incident, the walking European stereotypes were brought on board. Later on in the journey, they overheard a heated argument between three of the Manotaurs and the Multibear. Fiddleford stepped in to intervene, ultimately bringing the verbal battle to a halt. The hillbilly acted as the mediator, hearing both sides of the story. Turns out that the Manotaurs wanted to eat the Multibear's giant cassette player. Fortunately, Fiddleford offered the four creatures brown meat after they vowed to cease arguing. He also suggested that they join the nomadic group, promising them that they would find sanctuary at the Mystery Shack. The four immediately accepted McGucket's proposal.

Pacifica was surprised that even the unnatural inhabitants of the woods joined their strange party. During the last few weeks, the town newspaper had been full of stories about strange creatures and after her experience with a vengeful ghost she hadn't thought any of them would have been openly friendly to humans. If anything, she would have thought they'd have been on Bill's side but most of them seemed as scared of the demon and his minions as the humans were.

On their trail, Pacifica not only improved her can-opening skill, but assisted Fiddleford in bandaging the survivors who had serious cuts. She learned how to clean scratches with water, applying antibiotic ointment on the wound to prevent infection, and neatly wrap the injury with medical gauze. Pacifica was uneasy about this task at first, due to the germaphobia she developed by her strict upbringing. However Fiddleford noticed how squeamish the girl was, and provided her with medical gloves from his backpack. She was both relieved and silently grateful for McGucket's intervention. Despite the messy undertaking, Pacifica was proud that she was able to help and acquired more practical knowledge and skills from the unconventional hillbilly.

The journey was long and strenuous, but the nomads managed to reach the Mystery Shack before sundown. The group was relieved to find that the tourist trap was still intact despite the destruction Bill and his minions brought upon the poor town. Fiddleford checked to see if the coast was clear before leading the group of exhausted wayfarers to the front porch of their newfound sanctuary. Pacifica stood beside McGucket, who was nervous about confronting Stan Pines and asking him for shelter. Pacifca noted how uneasy he was feeling and decided to help the poor man.

"Hey," Fiddleford was brought out of his insecure state and gazed down at the young lady looking up at him with no trace of fear. "It's gonna be fine." She spoke softly. "If you lose your words, I'll vouch for you."

The old man was touched by Pacifica's short pep talk, giving her a sincere smile. Taking a deep breath, Fiddleford knocked on the door, silently hoping that Stan would not give him a hard time and that he would grant his group asylum from the chaos.

The door swiftly opened, revealing a tired Stan Pines. Pacifica and Fiddleford noticed the dark circles under the con man's bleary eyes, the small tears on his iconic suit and the stench of sweat that coated him. He wore a long frown, which slightly intimidated the hillbilly. After his previous encounters with the fez-headed man, McGucket realized that he had to convince the irritable man.

"Mr. Pines," Fiddleford stated, taking off his comically large brown hat to reveal the small tufts of grey hair on top of his head. "I know that you don't wanna have anythin' ta do wit me, an' I don't blame ya, but please give these innocent people a safe place ta stay!" He dropped down on his knees, bewildering Stan in the process.

"Yeah, we've been struggling to survive Bill Cipher's outlandish assault for almost two days now!" Pacifica added.

"Please Mr. Pines, I-" Fiddleford stopped in mid-sentence when he heard the ear-piercing screech of an eyebat.

"Quick! Everyone get inside now!" Stan loudly ordered, opening his door to allow the frightened stragglers inside. As the group made their way in the home, Fiddleford instinctively lifted Pacifica up alongside Gourney, preventing them from being trampled on by the others. Fortunately, everyone in the pack safely retreated inside the shack and closed the door before the eyebat could attack. Fiddleford gently placed Pacifica and Gourney back on the floor, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"You don't have to worry about those spooky creeps any longer." Stan stated. Fiddleford and Pacifica jerked their heads towards the con man.

"What are you talking about?" Pacifica asked while she dropped the bags of equipment onto the floor.

"I mean the house is completely weird-proofed. Dipper and some other nerd I know created some sorta force shield from unicorn hair that would ward off any dangerous creature. Despite the questionable approach, the shack is totally protected from any outside harm."

Pacifica smiled after hearing Stan's explanation. _That definitely sounds like something Dipper would do._ She pondered.

"Speaking of which, have you all happened to find my niece and nephew anywhere?" He asked. His eyes scanned the group in the hopes that he would come across the young twins. Many of the survivors shook their heads, wearing sad expressions on their faces.

"I'm sorry Mr. Pines, we weren't able to find 'em anywhere." Fiddleford wistfully replied.

Stan's expression fell for a moment before instantly changing into a grouchy, authoritarian look. "Alright, there's two rules in this house. Don't go upstairs and don't touch anything unless I give you permission to do so. Now go make yourselves comfortable!"

With that, Stan rushed up the stairs, leaving the stragglers to their own devices. Pacifica approached Fiddleford, who carefully inspected his surroundings as though he was familiar with the place. Unaware of the nostalgia Fiddleford was experiencing, she verbally expressed her concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine darlin'." He replied. "It's been a while since I last visited this place. At least while I was in my right mind." Despite Fiddleford's light chuckling, Pacifica was still in the dark over what that last part meant.

"Listen, I'm just gonna take a short walk around the house ta help jog my memory. I'll return in a few minutes in case you need anythin'." Pacifica nodded at the old man. Fiddleford returned the smile before making his exit from the living room.

The young blonde couldn't help but wonder how Fiddleford ever became associated with the Pines. But her train of thought was broken by the clanging noises that erupted in the kitchen. She ran towards the room only to discover the mass chaos that ensued.

All of the survivors were violently scavenging through the cabinets and refrigerator in search for food. Humans and creatures alike were spilling cans of brown meat onto the floor and fighting over whatever sustenance they could get their hands on. Pacifica watched in horror at the pandemonium that unfolded before her eyes. _It's an absolute madhouse in here!_

Just when things couldn't get any crazier, Pacifica was shoved to the side by an irate Stan Pines.

"What the hell is goin' on here?!" The con man roared. His presence alone brought the fighting to a halt. The stragglers gazed at Stan with fearful eyes. "I leave you people alone for _two minutes_ and this is what I get for invitin' you in!? Don't you even remember the rules I just told ya!"

Whatever patience Stan Pines possessed ever since the beginning of Weirdmageddon had vanished and his anger flew threw the roof. The businessman bellowed a loud battle cry before pummeling two of the manotaurs to the floor. Upon wrestling the muscular beasts, everyone else decided to continue the physical brawl.

I need to find McGucket. Pacifica thought. Turning around, she ran down the halls in the hopes of reaching to the old eccentric. When she returned to the living room, she was distraught to find that there was not a single person besides herself. She frantically ran around the first floor until she found a door left ajar. She picked up her pace until she approached the room. The blonde found the bearded man writing on a portable chalkboard. Pacifica gently knocked on the door to alert him of her presence.

Fiddleford was startled by the sound and turned around. His face lit up in a smile to see the young blonde. "Howdy Pacifica!" He greeted.

"McGucket, there's a huge fight in the kitchen." Pacifica informed him.

"What?!"

"All of the survivors were rummaging the kitchen for food, Mr. Pines yelled at them and decided to fight them! It's become an all-out battle royale out there!"

"Sweet Sasparilla!" He shrieked. "We gotta git everyone ta cooperate if we wanna make this work. Fortunately, I got a plan that will put all our qualms about sustenance ta rest!"

The old man wheeled the chalkboard out of the room and down the hallway with Pacifica following from behind. As Fiddleford and Pacifica sprinted their way towards the kitchen, they discovered that the brawl took itself into the living room. Stan especially was a participant as he gave left hook after left hook at the band of gnomes.

McGucket decided to walk towards the fighting, his head held high with determination. Pacifica could only look at the hillbilly in awe and anxiety, fearing that he would be beaten by the others.

Fiddleford stopped in his tracks and gave a loud whistle. The fighting ceased as the whistle silenced everyone in the room. They all gave McGucket their undivided attention.

"Now that everyone's done horseplayin', I have a solution to our current food crisis." Fiddleford stood on top of a wooden crate and flipped over the chalk board to reveal a drawn-out map of the forest, including a white line connecting the Mystery Shack to a circled tree. He pointed his illustration and continued to speak. "In the forest, there's an underground bunker that has an enormous stash of food that'll last us a long while. It's not too far from the Mystery Shack and I know how to access it. However, I'm gonna need some helpin' hands to carry as much food as possible. So I'm goin' ta need a few volunteers."

There was hushed murmuring among the stragglers. Fiddleford was fearful that they would point and laugh at his suggestions, calling him 'crazy' or 'off his rockers'. He was about to step down from his make-shift podium in defeat, but a few brave individuals stepped forward.

"I'll join." Sheriff Blubs stated as he walked ahead of the crowd.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Grenda declared solemnly, raising her arm up into the air. Fiddleford's face went blank with confusion at the reference but Pacifica laughed so he figured it was a joke and smiled.

"I'll go with you." Candy Chiu added, standing right beside Grenda.

"I'll join as well." Multibear announced.

"I'm in." Chutzpar the Manotaur said.

Fiddleford was pleased to see the number of willing participants. Granted, it would have been nice if more of the adults had volunteered instead of two of the children, but two of the stronger supernatural creatures wanted to join the cause. At this point in time, any help was welcome. but any help was welcome. "Excellent! We'll begin our trek early tomorrow mornin' an' we'll return with more food for everyone!"

The stragglers cheered in response, giving the eccentric approval of his plan. Pacifica looked to Fiddleford, giving him a small, but sincere smile. In return Fiddleford beamed joyfully at the girl.

"Hey!" A gruff voice sounded, almost demolishing the duo's heartfelt moment. Fiddleford turned to his left to discover Stan Pines, wearing his frown, with his arms crossed. "I want to speak with you alone."

Fiddleford looked to Pacifica. She gave him a nod before he stepped down. Fiddleford was nervous about confronting Stan, but there was something in the con man's dark brown eyes that told him that he wouldn't receive any scolding. Stan led Fiddleford away from the chalkboard, sliding their way through the crowd. The young girl watched as the two old men exited the living room.

* * *

Later that evening, Pacifica tried to fall asleep on the makeshift bed in the hallway, but it was too difficult. The cold air seeping through the house gave her goosebumps all over her body. She fervently rubbed her arms in order to stay warm, but to no avail.

Suddenly, she heard two pairs of shuffling footsteps drawing close to her mattress. She shut her eyes, pretending she was asleep. She listened in on two hushed voices conversing.

"I can't thank ya enough fer allowin' us ta stay at the shack Stanley." A familiar accented voice said.

 _Stanley?_ Pacifica thought. _Isn't his name Stanford?_

"Eh, don't mention it," Stan shrugged.

"I still can't believe you have a surplus of blankets in store." Fiddleford added, his voice drawing closer to where Pacifica was 'sleeping'.

"Yeah well, I figured that having an abundant number of blankets around would beat having to pay for heating." The businessman casually explained. "What can I say, I'm a frugal man."

The girl tried to remain still despite her shivering. But out of the blue, she felt the texture of warm fleece blanket coating her quaking body, as well as a delicate hand gently ruffling her hair. She heard the creaking of the hardwood floorboards as the two men vacated the hallway.

Curiosity got the best of Pacifica as the girl silently rose from her bed, wrapped the blanket around her and tiptoed towards the living room entrance. She peeked from behind the wall to get a better look, hoping that the darkness that enveloped the room would shield her from the two adults.

"You miss Dipper an' Mabel, don't cha?" Fiddleford softly inquired. Stan didn't need to verbally answer the hillbilly's query. He let out a sorrowful sigh, his eyes downcast on the carpeted floor.

"I can empathize wit what yer goin' through." McGucket spoke up. "The pangs of guilt fer not savin' yer loved ones, the self-loathin' fer not doin' more fer 'em."

Stan lifted his head up almost immediately. Furrowing his brow, he stared doubtfully at the eccentric man.

"I lost my son Tate ta that demonic triangle." Fiddleford explained, his voice filled with grief. "I was residin' in the bunker fer the past few weeks, an' I installed security cameras so I could keep an eye on the town. An' when Weirdmageddon began, one of them eyebats petrified Tate to stone and brought him over to Bill's estate. An' I feel terrible fer not bein' there fer him. I should 'ave protected him from Bill's monstrous minions."

Pacifica gaped at Fiddleford's story. She never took into consideration that Fiddleford had family that he deeply cared for. She was also saddened to hear his proclamation of guilt and self-hatred.

Stan felt guilty for undermining the eccentric hillbilly. He was aware that McGucket and his son were not on the best of terms, but he knew that the old coot still loved his kid. Stan realized that with Dipper and Mabel, there was the possibility that they are still out there on another part of town and that they had a fighting chance. _If anyone could survive in this craziness it was them._ He had to hold on to that thought.

"I was a coward fer not doin' anythin' ta protect my lil' Tater Tot! I don't think I could forgive myself! I can't-"

Fiddleford was silenced when he was pulled into a fierce bear hug. It took him a while to assess the situation, that Stan was reluctantly comforting him. The old man resumed sobbing, soaking the con man's suit with his tears.

"Hey now, don't cry." Stan spoke, attempting to console the old southerner. "You can't be wastin' your energy regretting the past." Fiddleford's scrawny frame shook harder. Assuaging people who weren't family was not one of Stan's strong suits, but he continued to try and calm the hillbilly down anyways.

"You're not a coward. Heck, you saved all those people today and brought them here to safety. So you're much braver than you give yourself credit for."

Fiddleford wrapped his arms around Stan and gave him a gentle squeeze. The old con man was unused to people outside of his family giving him affection. Reluctantly, he rubbed the southerner's bony back up and down as a way of physically comforting him. It took Fiddleford five minutes to expel the rest of his sobs. When he the last of his tears had shed, he slowly released himself from Stan's hold and tearfully smiled at the businessman.

"Thank you so much." McGucket said softly.

"Don't mention it. Ever." Stan told him sternly, still feeling uneasy. "...but we all gotta cry sometimes I suppose."

Fiddleford nodded in agreement while wiping away an oncoming tear in his right eye. However, he gave a yelp when he felt two strong arms sweep him off his feet without warning. Stan heaved Fiddleford and walked towards the armchair. He gently placed the southerner in the comfortable couch before he unceremoniously dropped the comforter onto McGucket.

"You better get some shut eye. I'll be on the lookout for any spookums while you sleep." Stan said, "I'm gonna go grab my shotgun."

Fiddleford was astonished at Stan's kind gestures. It was truly a pleasant surprise to see the more human side to the gruff old man. "Thank you Stanley."

"Sure thing." Stan mumbled. "Now get some rest possum breath. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I can't allow you to be sleep-deprived."

With that, Stan exited the living room, taking the only source of light with him. Pacifica moved towards the kitchen to avoid Stan's detection. When she saw the lantern light disappear, she stealthily crept towards the living room entrance.

Pacifica gave a small smile at the sleeping figure on the couch.

"Blondie!" A gruff voice whispered. Pacifica whipped her head around only to see Stan standing on the stairs with the lantern light off.

Pacifica was flustered upon getting caught. "H-how long have you been standing there?!"

"Long enough." Stan huffed. "I want you to know two things. First off, you can't tell another soul about my real name, got it?" Pacifica nodded reluctantly, not sure why it even mattered to her host.

"Secondly, just because you're safe from strolling outside tomorrow doesn't mean that you get to take it easy! I'm gonna need you're help with taking care of the others while my right-hand man is gone."

The girl was miffed with the con man's commands. "Why are you dumping all of this responsibility on me?"

"Hey, I may be the leader, but I'm gonna need some extra hands to do my bidding." He retorted. "Also, I know that you have a soft spot for that old coot, and having you assist me might make him proud of ya."

Pacifica was livid with Stan. _Why does he have to state the truth out loud?_ "Look, I don't know what you're talking about!" She lied, crossing her arms in emphasis.

"Don't try and fool me little girl! I know you like him." Stan snapped as he walked up the steps. He halted before speaking at a softer tone.

"...and I can understand why."

Pacifica was stunned. Stan knew the truth and there was no denying it. Sighing to herself, she retreated to the makeshift bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Fiddleford and his rag-tag group each ate a can of brown meat before they started their perilous mission. McGucket, Sheriff Blubs, Candy, Grenda, Multibear and Chutzpar all carried backpacks and sacks to stock the food in. Just as they were about to exit the shack, a wobbling voice halted them in their tracks.

"Wait!" Pacifica shouted. She sprinted towards the southern man.

"Pacifica? Is somethin' wrong dear?" Fiddleford asked worriedly, kneeling on the ground to converse with her at eye level.

She glanced at the hardwood floor, trying to muster her courage before speaking. "You better be safe out there, okay?" She told him, her voice slightly wavering. She attempted to cover her worry with the fierce look on her face. "And if you don't come back to the Mystery Shack, I'll sue the overalls off of you. Got it?"

McGucket gave a light chuckle as he carefully held his reassuring hands over her frightful ones. Pacifica was surprised at Fiddleford's action. "Don't worry Pacifica, I'll make sure that the group and I will be extra careful, and we'll be back with a truckload of food before ya know it!"

Fiddleford gently squeezed her hands before he got up. Hauling his backpack onto his shoulders, he addressed to his team. "It's gonna be dangerous, but remember to lay low and follow my lead." The other members nodded.

With that, McGucket and his crew stealthily stepped outside the Mystery Shack. Pacifica closed the door before running towards the window. She saw McGucket and his crew running into the woods, successfully avoiding attention of the surreal beasts that roamed outside. The blonde walked away from the window and perched herself against the wall. She was concerned for their safety, especially Fiddleford's. She silently placed her faith in the bearded man, knowing that he will carefully lead his ragtag team to obtain more food for the rest of the survivors.

* * *

Seven hours had passed since Fiddleford and his crew left in search of more food. Within that time Pacifica gained more information concerning first aid procedures from Stan as they patched up the others in the make-shift emergency room. She even received sewing lessons from the grouchy man, learning how to mend bits of rags into something wearable. Afterwards, Stan gave Pacifica a list of chores around the house, ranging from sweeping the floor to doing the dishes, while Stan retreated to his lounge-chair to catch up on his reading. She didn't know what to make of the con man; he was very knowledgeable, sure, but he chooses to lay around the house when there was work to be done.

She continued to brush the dirt off the floor with a broom until she heard the sound of heavy footsteps from outside. Pacifica rushed to the front window, swiping the curtain off to the side to get a better view. She saw Fiddleford carrying a box full of canned meat, leading the group who also carried mass amounts of sustenance either by hand or by wheelbarrow. Pacifica also took note of the newer faces that joined the pack; A mustachioed gentleman with a stone woodpecker on his shoulder, a Greasy's Diner employee, Several Timez, Rumbles McSkirmish, a disheveled gnome, two unicorns, and...Toby Determined? The hapless 'news reporter' sported a blue mohawk, a pink shirt, leather pants. He was making a miserable attempt at pulling off a post-apocalyptic punk look and it wasn't working for him at all.

As the pack drew closer to the Mystery Shack, Several Timez were singing what sounded like a folk song about Soos of all things.

 _Though the evil triangle attacks,_

 _Soos the Handyman has got your back!_

"We're back with the goods!" McGucket proclaimed as he and his team entered inside the shack. The other two Manotaurs warmly welcomed the new people inside the shack and helped carry the surplus of food while leading them towards the kitchen. The unkempt gnome waltzed ahead of McGucket and took note of his fellow brethren. "Shmebulock!"

"Shmebulock!" Jeff the Gnome cried with joy, tears of happiness spilling from his eyes. The head gnome ran as fast as his tiny legs would allow before pulling his dirty companion in a loving embrace. "I'm so relieved to see you! I thought you were a goner, but thank goodness you're alive!" He lovingly rocked his compatriot side to side, hanging onto him for dear life. Once Jeff released Shmebulock from his hold, he turned towards the bearded hillbilly.

"I can't thank you enough for rescuing my friend Fiddleford! I'm eternally indebted to you!"

"Aw shucks, you don't have ta do anythin' for me." Fiddleford responded to the gnome leader. "It just warms my heart to see two pals happily reunite durin' such tryin' times."

"McGucket, you're bleeding!" Pacifica shouted fearfully, pointing at his injury.

The old hillbilly quickly glanced down at the massive scratch on his left arm. The gash was oozing with rose-red blood, dripping off of his arm and splattering on the dirtied floorboards. Only now did he realize the deep laceration on his appendage.

"Oh! I must've got that from fightin' that eye bat earlier." He noted. The man snapped from his train of thought when he felt a small gloved hand pulling on his cast. Before Pacifica could lead the inventor out of the room, she heard a gravelly voice from the other side of the room.

"McGucket, wait!" Stan called out. Pacifica and Fiddleford turned to look at the distressed con man. "Did you find the twins?"

Fiddleford sadly looked at the worried con man before giving a reply. "I'm sorry Stanley, I couldn't find 'em. But I asked everyone for news of 'em and Toby said he saw Dipper and Wendy. I didn't see any sign of 'em."

Pacifica could have sworn that she saw a tear forming in the corner of Stan's left eye, but the con man swiftly turned his back on them and when he turned around, his face was dry. "Toby, get over here," he barked. "I've got some questions for you." The con man dragged the startled middle-aged punk by the arm and retreated upstairs. Pacifica didn't stay to listen, she could find out what the others knew later. Fiddleford's injury was her priority at the moment. She looked back at Fiddleford, who was still in need of medical attention.

"Let me fix you up." Pacifica calmly told McGucket, gingerly tugging at the hillbilly's good arm and leading him out of the living room. The walk towards the makeshift emergency room was silent, but not awkward. Fiddleford was still crestfallen from that he hadn't been able to give Stan better news. He felt as though he failed him. Pacifica was deep in thought figuring out how she could comfort Fiddleford.

The two entered the makeshift emergency room, which was already filled with other patients. She walked with the old man over towards a free table and two empty chairs, a serviceable place to nurse his injury.

"Hey, you did the best you could, and Stan knows that." Pacifica assuaged as the two took their seats. The young aristocrat opened the first aid kit and gathered the necessary supplies to properly care for the wound. "Perhaps Dipper and Mabel are together in another part of town, kicking some demon butt."

"Well Toby said Dipper was looking for Mabel when he saw him, so maybe they are." Fiddleford softly smiled at her for giving him the hopeful thought.

She diligently tended to his wound, using the skills he'd taught her only yesterday. As she applied a wet cloth onto his scratch, Fiddleford started telling her about the quest for food and the news the new members of their small band of survivors had told him as she nursed his arm. His words greatly helped Pacifica concentrate at the task at hand, focusing on his story rather than the blood. Taking the old man's injured arm, she applied antibiotic cream on the injury. Immediately afterwards, the blonde carefully wrapped his arm with gauze, ensuring that the medical tape would suppress the bleeding. She also noticed a small cut on his left hand. Finding a band aid in the bottom of his bag of seemingly endless tricks, she placed the small adhesive onto his hand, smoothing it out over the small cut. Fiddleford couldn't help being surprised that she cared so much about such a tiny wound. Before Weirdmageddon started, and not counting Dipper and Mabel, it seemed like ages ago since anyone cared if he lived or died. Now here was this tiny girl from a well-to-do family worrying about him. Once Pacifica completed her task, she proudly nodded at her handiwork.

"There, you should be good for now." She stated confidently.

Fiddleford stared down at his now bandaged arm. He was astonished by how much she's improved in terms of first aid care.

"Why thank you Pacifica!" He told her. "You truly are a wonderful person."

The blonde girl tried to cover up her embarrassment and pleasure at his words by laughing like it means nothing. "Don't mention it, alright. You've done so much for everyone, I figured that fixing your arm was the least I could do."

If Pacifica was being honest with herself, Fiddleford's words meant a lot more than she was letting on. Growing up, her family had never offered much in the way of praise. It was always "Don't let down the family name," this or, "take that off this instant right now young lady," that. One of her early nannies had complimented a picture she'd made but her father had complained about the mess she'd made and the nanny had been fired for allowing her to ruin her dress with paint. It wasn't even like she would have worn the dress again anyway. Sometimes as a little girl, Pacifica had felt more like a doll her parents wanted to show off than an actual child. For years she assumed that was normal. This was emphasized with the bedtime stories her mother would tell her. Fairy tales with horrible endings to instill lessons about appearances. The worst of which was _The Ugly Duckling_ , which concluded with the titular character growing up without any friends because of his appearances. She only learned about the true ending of the story after her second adventure with Dipper, in which he told her that the Ugly Duckling did grow up to become a beautiful swan. While Pacifica was glad that _The Ugly Duckling_ did have a happy ending, that meant that her mother had fed her lies her whole life about how outer beauty outshines the character of a person. If she ever did anything too bad her father used the bell. She hated that bell more than anything else in the world. Even now, Pacifica reflected, she hated the bell more than she hated Bill. That probably made her a bad person. Dipper would be disappointed if he knew, but she couldn't help it...

McGucket was so different from her parents though. He genuinely seemed to care and Pacifica still didn't know why. She wasn't his family and, before the Weirdmagedon, she hadn't ever done anything nice for him. She remembered the house party at the Mystery Shack earlier that summer and how she bribed the poor hillbilly five dollars if he applauded her so that she could win the party queen crown. Her cheeks burnt with shame of that memory. She hadn't even known what sharing was until Mabel taught her and even after that, she hadn't thought to help the local kook.

Pacifica felt like she didn't fit in anywhere. She wasn't the daughter her parents want but she didn't know how to be anything else either. Then she looked at Fiddleford's kind smile. _Maybe I do belong somewhere and, right now, it's here with McGucket._

Suddenly, Stan walked into the emergency room and approached the table. Fiddleford immediately became anxious, fearing that the con man felt nothing but resentment towards him.

"Listen Stanley, I'm sorry I couldn't find Dipper an' Mabel. I tried lookin' for 'em an-"

"I don't wanna hear it." Stan interrupted, holding a hand up. "You've done nothing wrong possum breath, so quit apologizing." He pulled up a chair and took a seat before turning towards Pacifica. "Thanks for helping me out around the house blondie."

She didn't know what to say. Maybe Fiddleford isn't the only one who thinks she was just another Northwest waste of space. She opened her mouth to say something but Stan turned to Fiddleford before she could say anything. Perhaps it was probably for the best anyway.

"I wanna thank you for retrieving the surplus of food for everyone." Stan told him gruffly. "I had enough to keep me going for a few weeks but not nearly enough to feed this ragtag lot of misfits you've landed me with." Despite his rough tone it was clear that Stan didn't mind housing the survivors and he really was grateful for the extra food. He averted his eyes away embarrassed only to feel a warm hand place itself over his own. He looked up to find Fiddleford smiling at him.

"Yer welcome." Fiddleford responded happily. "I figure it would settle us for a while for all the extra mouths I've brought ya." The inventor then shifted himself in his seat before addressing an important issue that had been eating his mind for some time. "Now that we cleared up the food problem, I've been brainstormin' lately on how we're gonna defeat Bill, an-"

"Hold it right there, we are not gonna go outside again!" Stan interrupted. "We've got the food we need now. Why would you wanna risk leaving again?"

"Well what else are we gonna do? We can't just stay inside here forever!" Fiddleford reasoned. "There's gonna be a point where we're gonna run outta food-"

"Then we'll feast on the gnomes." Stan suggested and Pacifica is forcibly reminded of her father suggesting they hid from a ghost and eat the butler, though she believed, unlike her father, that Stan was only joking.

"Stanley!" Fiddleford scolded brusque businessman for making such a morbid comment.

"Look, fighting against that demon is practically a death wish. We have everything we need in here, so why don't you just forget about it."

 _"NO I WON"T!"_ Fiddleford snapped, slamming his right fist onto the table. Stan and Pacifica were taken aback by the southerner's sudden outburst.

"I spent the last thirty-some-odd years tryin' ta forget, an' as a result I became a homeless, good-fer-nothin' wreck! Now that I've been regainin' my memories, I don't wanna forget anymore! I wanna be able ta help everyone, atone fer my past mistakes an' save Ford!"

McGucket stood up from his seat and proceeded to make his exit. Stan watched in awe as Fiddleford stormed out of the room. Pacifica scooted from her chair and proceeded to follow Fiddleford's cue.

"If I learned one thing from my experiences with your niece and nephew it's that even when the going got tough, they still persevered through it all and triumphed over adversity. Dipper and Mabel are two of the bravest people I know and I assumed that the rest of their family were just as courageous. But now after hearing you prattle on about hiding from the enemy, I realize that you're nothing more than a coward."

* * *

The rest of the day was very awkward for the three of them. Fiddleford and Stan refused to talk to each other. Pacifica decided to stay close to Fiddleford most of the time. She couldn't help but agree with the inventor's logic. Yes, it was scary, but they couldn't hide in the shack forever.

She also couldn't understand Stan's refusal to go outside again. Surely he wants to find Dipper and Mabel? He still seems worried about them so why won't he look? _Is he really just a coward?_ This thought didn't seem to fit right in her head. _This was the man who scaled a cliff while punching an eagle before jumping off said cliff all to save his niece and nephew. Why won't he do anything now._

Now there was the mystery of why he's now apparently called Stanley instead of Stanford and Fiddleford wants to save someone named Ford. There were so many things she did not understand and she wasn't sure how to ask. Staying close by Fiddleford's side made her feel a bit better though.

Later that evening, Pacifica retreated to her makeshift bed by the stairwell. For the second night in a row, she struggled to fall asleep but from the snores coming from the other rooms. She believed she was the only one awake.

Pacifica eventually got up and made her way to the kitchen to get a drink. She poured herself a glass of water and started drinking it when she heared the front door open and close. She made her way towards the window to investigate. Peering out of the window, she saw Stan venture out into the forest alone with nothing but a baseball bat, some brass knuckles and a flashlight.

She did not know what to do at first, but after a few moments of indecision she ran and woke Fiddleford from his sleep, informing him of what she had seen.

He went pale at her story and ran to the front door. However he was too late. The eccentric was unable to see where Stan was and there was very little chance of finding him in the dark. He considered going out and following Stan anyway, but an eyeball bat swoops down from the trees and he was forced to shut the door again.

"I don't know what that man thinks he's doing," he muttered anxiously, "and people call me a kook!" He noticed that Pacifica was still there and he gave a somewhat strained smiled. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

She wasn't sure she believed him but she pretended to be reassured anyway.

"I suggest ya get some sleep," He calmly told her. She nodded, knowing she would not be able to sleep anytime some but returned back to her makeshift bed anyway.

A few hours later, she heard the front door open and close again.

"And where do ya think yer going?" Fiddleford inquired in a quiet, but angry voice that was laced with relief. He stood near the entrance of the living room, arms crossed and with his back against the wall.

There are a few seconds of silence before Stan replied gruffly, "None of your beeswax." The con man huffed as he strode passed McGucket. He was clearly unhappy at being caught, especially by Fiddleford of all people. But McGucket swiftly grabbed Stan by the wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Not good enough. Where were ya?" The hillbilly pressed further.

"You forget who's in charge here?!" Stan retaliated in a hushed whisper, yanking his wrist from Fiddleford's grasp. "If I want to look for my niece and nephew without you tagging along then it's my business, not yours!"

When the sound of Stan's footsteps faded, Fiddleford heaved a long sigh. Even though the eccentric hillbilly and the gruff businessman didn't always see eye-to-eye, he was silently grateful that Stan returned to the shack safe and sound and retreated back to the couch to get some much-needed rest.

Pacifica smiled. Stan's 'not leaving the shack' policy clearly wasn't as strong as he'd have them all believe. She rolled over and soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was the fourth day of Weirdmageddon and things at the Mystery Shack were relatively stable. Stan, now donned in a red sash with _CHIEF_ written across it, was still lounging on his "throne". He slept comfortably on the pool chair, with an open issue of Gold Chains for Old Men lying on top of him. Fiddleford was busily completing some research on his specialized laptop, hoping to figure out a way to stop Bill. Despite what Stan had done last night, which neither he nor Fiddleford had brought up, he still insisted they all stay inside and hide. Pacifica, now wearing a dress made from purple rags that she sewed herself, walked up towards McGucket.

"Any luck?" Pacifica asked, looking at the computer beside the old man.

"Not yet darlin'. " McGucket answered, quickly looking at the young girl before turning his attention back to the computer screen. His bony fingers fervently typed on the keyboard to find a solution. When the computer screen flashed red, the old eccentric was visibly annoyed at the machine's lack of cooperation.

"Oh horse spittle!" He shouted, slamming his laptop shut out of frustration. Fiddleford's response scared Stan out of his sleep, jolting upwards from his pool chair.

"What the heck was that for?!" Stan yelled angrily. "I was sleeping, ya jerk!"

"It's near impossible ta get an internet signal in here an' there's only so much research on Bill saved on here. I also wanna know how the rest of the world's doin' since this began. Maybe I can talk to some researchers aroun' the world an' we can formulate a solution together..."

"Oh that. My advice is give up." Stan grunted, lying back down on the chair and continuing to read. Pacifica expected Fiddleford to bring up Stan leaving last night. However, Fiddleford silently shook his head. When Fiddleford could not chastise Stan, Pacifica marched towards the con man and opened her mouth to confront him.

"Well then, do you have any other bright ideas chief? " Pacifica asked sarcastically.

"Nah." Stan shrugged, skimming through his magazine. He was about to resume his peaceful Gold Chains session, but was interrupted by the sound of pattering footsteps.

"Fiddleford! Stan!" Jeff the Gnome cried as he rushed into the emergency room.

"What's wrong Jeff?" Fiddleford asked with concern.

The fez headed man pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "Ugh, what is it this time?"

"Wax Larry King escaped the air vents and is on a violent rampage!" The gnome leader explained.

"Oh boy," Stan sighed, forcing himself up from his lounge chair. "I'll go find one of my rifles and blow that no-good news reporter to bits."

"Stanley Pines, we are not goin' ta resort ta gun violence as a means of solvin' our issues." Fiddleford scolded as he dragged the con man by his arm away from the pool chair.

"Ugh fine!" Stan complained, releasing his arm from the hillbilly's grip. "If you're gonna be anti-second amendment, at least let me use bat violence on this one!" The fez-headed man grabbed a baseball bat from the floor before heading towards the living room.

"Come with me Pacifica, I'm gonna need yer help restrainin' Stan on the off-chance he goes berserk." Fiddleford addressed to the young girl. Not objecting to his words, Pacifica strolled alongside the bearded man.

When the trio arrived at the scene, they saw a disembodied head of the renown news reporter chasing some of the gnomes and the Lilputtians into a corner.

"So, you're about to be eaten alive. Tell me about that." He inquired as if he was interviewing someone for Q and A segment on CNN.

"Hey, you back away from them you wax gremlin!" Stan yelled at the disembodied head. "The only main dish you'll be eating is a knuckle sandwich!" Not deterred by the con man's threat, Wax Larry King hopped onto his arm and proceeded to bite on it.

"Aw come on!" Stan yelled, violently shaking the decapitated head off of his limb.

"Here, hold these for me please." Fiddleford addressed a brown-haired gnome, handing him his spectacles. Fiddleford proceeded to get down on all fours and lunged onto the poor con man. Pacifica confusedly watched the brawl go down. Wax Larry King attempted to flee, but the bearded hillbilly captured the head, securing his hold by the reporter's ears. He lifted himself up from the ground and moved towards the stairwell. Grenda opened the air vent. McGucket shoved the wax head inside and the strong girl closed up the entryway, imprisoning him.

Pacifica helped Stan back on his feet. "You alright?" She questioned out of concern.

"Yeah, my arm's killin' me, but otherwise I'm good." Stan replied.

Fiddleford returned to the blonde girl and the chief, beaming happily at the two. "Uh, thanks for your help you crazy coot." Stan said quietly. Fiddleford gave the con man a warm smile in return.

Everyone seemed to calm down from the frenzy. Suddenly, the group heard multiple footsteps coming from the front porch. They all started murmuring to themselves, but Stan and Fiddleford stood in the center of the room, facing at the doorway. They mentally prepared for whoever, or whatever, was about to enter the shack. Stan retrieved his bat and held it up high, prepared to strike down the intruder. Fiddleford was down on his arms and legs, like a wolf ready to capture its prey. Pacifica stood in between the two old codgers, clenching her fists with determination. The rest of the group followed suit.

The door slammed open, revealing a hatted boy, a sweater-wearing girl, a redhead, and a handyman, all of whom were wearing their fiercest war faces.

* * *

 _ **AN: Firstly, I hoped you enjoyed this story.**_ ** _I hope the first chapter wasn't too daunting, but I wanted to set up Pacifica and Fiddleford's previous interactions._** ** _And before anyone says so, I believe that Pacifica had mysophobia (germaphobia), which was why she was so hesitant to hold Fiddleford's hand during the zodiac scene without wearing gloves._** ** _Also I'm shocked that there were no fics concerning how Fiddleford gathered all of the survivors and brought them over to the Mystery Shack. It's a shame too because he's such an underrated character who deserves more love._**

 ** _I originally wrote this story in early 2016, just a few weeks after the series finale of Gravity Falls, and posted it on AO3. The story was originally going to be about Fiddleford finding Pacifica during Weirdmageddon, developing an unlikely bond, and ends up with him adopting her._** ** _Essentially, this is a Fiddleford takes Pacifica in as his surrogate daughter story._**

 ** _I put the story on hold when I started graduate school, and now that I've got more free time, I reread the story and found it to be too melodramatic and I want to take a new approach to the story (it's still going to end with the McGuckets taking Pacifica in, but I want to add some more interaction with the three of them before doing so). Fortunately, with the release of Gravity Falls: Lost Legends and the information about the characters, specifically Pacifica working at Greasy's Diner as well as Fiddleford and Tate finding out ways to 'bust the ghosts, I found some interesting ideas that I want to play with and turn into an interesting story that continues from where the show concluded._**

 ** _So the first two chapters of this story will still remain the same and become the prelude to my upcoming story, which revolves around Fiddleford and Tate teaming up with Pacifica to bust the ghosts lurking around the manor._** ** _And honestly, I feel that would be a more fun story idea that falls in line with the show's tone than what I was originally going for with this story. But if you did like my original story, I have them still posted up under 'abandoned chapter' on AO3._**

 _ **Please comment for a review or any feedback! Thank you!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Pacifica struggled to break free from Bill's spell, but the triangular beast petrified the young girl into a tapestry of her screaming face. She frantically yelled for help, but was unable to utter a single word. She panicked, desperately trying to move her body only to realize that she was frozen in place. She couldn't breathe, couldn't go anywhere._

 _All she could do was look out from the tapestry. It wasn't a choice though, she couldn't have close her eyes even if she'd wanted to and she was forced to watch as Dipper and Mabel run away from Bill in his most hideous form. As the children fled from the homicidal monstrosity, Stan and Ford were locked up in a triangular prison. She could have sworn she heard Stan suggest that he would allow the three-sided beast into his mind if it meant saving the world. In any other circumstance, Pacifica would have applauded the businessman's bravery, but she was far too focused on her horrid situation as she suffered in suspension._

 _"Don't let me stay like this! " she thought desperately._

 _This wasn't life. It was hell. Unable to move or even scream, she dreaded an eternity of this unbearable plane of existence without even an end to her suffering in death. Pacifica feared that she was going to be confined within the tapestry for all eternity, cursed to live the rest of days frozen in constant agony as nothing more than pieces of thread sewn together._

 _But just as she felt that she was about to go mad, she felt herself slip into unconsciousness..._

Pacifica abruptly woke up only to see the Fearamid was crumbling apart. She was too focused on the destruction to realize that she returned to her own body. The blonde lifted herself up from the quaking floor and stood beside the other members of the prophetic zodiac, fearfully watching the eradication of the dream demon's estate. The Fearamid was deconstructed brick-by-brick before her eyes as the giant rift in the sky pulled the blocks through the portal alongside all of the demonic entities that terrorized the community.

Once the threatening creatures returned to the nightmare realm, the rift dissipated and was transformed into a bright pink light, fiercely illuminating within the dismal sky. The pink light evolved into an enormous wave that erased all of the chaos Bill brought upon the Gravity Falls, wiping the forested town clean of any abhorrent forces. Just as the pink wave dissolved into thin air, the community returned to its familiar state of serenity.

Pacifica, bewildered by the recent occurrences, carefully inspected the now peaceful town. All of the buildings were standing still, the environment surrounding the town center repossessed its luscious, soft colors. She looked upwards at the clear blue sky above her. The Fearamid was no longer floating there and neither was the ominous purple X the demons emerged from. Everything in Gravity Falls was calm and peaceful as it should be. It was as if Weirdmageddon never happened.

After taking everything in, she looked to her right and saw Fiddleford McGucket standing right next to her. The old inventor was still mesmerized by the town's restored tranquility. Pacifica was greatly relieved to see that he was physically unharmed. She wanted to celebrate their triumph over the chaotic onslaught, but she felt the pangs of guilt within the pit of her stomach.

 _Pacifica recalled to moments earlier, when she was summoned by Ford to partake in the prophetic zodiac that initially would have defeated Bill. She was reluctant to join the weird ritual, as she was spooked out by the sheer coincidence that the llama symbol on the cipher wheel perfectly matched with the llama sweater Mabel gave her the previous night. The ceremony also required all of its participants to hold hands, something Pacifica wasn't too keen over. She would have been okay if she wore gloves like Ford did, but she left the medical gloves McGucket gave to her back at the Mystery Shack. Pacifica was unable to retrieve her gloves anyway since the shack, which transformed into a giant mech, was engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with the very force they were trying to eradicate. What's worse was that her mysophobia started to get the better of her when she saw how dirty Fiddleford's hands were. There were flies hovering over it for crying out loud! But the old codger kindly smiled at the girl as he offered his hand to her to hold._

 _Even then she might have been able to do it if she hadn't been so scared of everything that was happening. "The world was ending and I'm supposed to save it!?" She thought anxiously. It was too much. This couldn't be real._

 _Pacifica felt close tears. Her breath was coming in short gasps and she couldn't seem to get enough air. It felt like there was a large weight on her chest and she could hear her heart pounding too fast in her ears._

 _Pacifica looked around and it seemed to her that everyone was staring at her expectantly. They demanded her to make everything alright again. Then she saw her parents looking at her as well and years of psychological conditioning took over automatically; don't get dirty, always be presentable, don't talk to the riff raff, never let the side down, be the daughter we expect..._

 _"Ew! I'm not touching that!" She responded, cringing at the unclean hand before her._

Pacifica returned to reality feeling remorseful over her reaction and poor choice of words. He did so much for me over the past few days and that's how I speak to him!? She thought, being very harsh on herself. I need to give McGucket a proper apology.

Silently walking towards the hillbilly from behind, she made her move to obtain the man's attention. "Fiddleford." She addressed quietly, lightly tapping his shoulder.

Fiddleford turned around to face the young girl and was immediately overjoyed. "Pacifica! Yer alright!" He exclaimed, happy to see her safe and sound. Upon looking at the young blonde and realizing how upset she looked, his demeanor changed into a more worried expression. He knelt down to speak with her with the intention of alleviating the poor girl from her current woes. "Hey, is everythin' alright darlin'?"

Pacifica shook her head before speaking. "I'm sorry for being grossed out at your hand earlier. I didn't have any gloves and there were flies swarming near your hand...but even then I shouldn't have acted so disgusted." She averted her gaze, thinking that the inventor would be mad at her. However, she felt a gentle hand lifting her chin up. She looked to face Fiddleford, whose face was filled with concern for the poor girl.

"It's alright Pacifica, I understand how hesitant you were earlier an' I accept yer apology." He said, giving her a soft smile. "Seems like we didn't even need ta hold hands in the first place since everythin's alright again." He offered her a friendly grin with his reassurance.

Pacifica was astounded by how kind and forgiving the old eccentric was. Realizing the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, she wiped them away with her sleeve. With careful hands, Fiddleford pulled the distressed girl into a tender embrace. Pacifica could no longer hold back the tears she desperately fought. She cried on the old man's shoulder while he comforted her.

"Everythin' will be okay." He soothed. "The worst has passed us now...I reckon that things will turn out alright for us an' for everyone else in town."

Her hold around the southerner tightened, as though her life depended on it. "I'm so happy you're alive Fiddleford." She confessed, squeezing his frame.

The southerner was stunned by how concerned the young aristocrat was for his well-being. For years he believed that there wasn't another soul that so much as cared about his very existence. But even during Weirdmageddon, McGucket had made a positive impact on this young girl and she, in return, cared about him. Now understanding the importance of the bond he and Pacifica made over the past few days, the old man felt a renewed sense of self-worth. "Thank you dear." He tearfully replied, shifting himself to converse with her face to face. "I'm really lucky ta have met someone as caring an' thoughtful as you Pacifica."

Pacifica sniffled as the last of her tears had shed. She didn't know how to respond to such kind words. She tried to figure out what to say to him when she heard a worried voice behind Fiddleford.

"Dad."

The southerner and the young girl turn around to see his son, Tate McGucket, standing there. He looked a mixture of relieved at finding his father alive and awkward after so many years of estrangement. Fiddleford, for his part, was simply happy to know that his son was unharmed.

"Tate!" He exclaimed excitedly. The hillbilly gently released Pacifica from his hold before running to his estranged son and pulling him into a close hug "I was so worried about ya!"

"I was worried about you too." Tate admitted. For the first time in years he didn't push his father away or turn away in embarrassment.

Fiddleford laughed. "I'm an old man. The world don't much care if I make it or don't. I ain't important. As long as you youngins made it, that's what mattered." He started to disentangle himself from his son as his relief started to fade, remembering how much Tate had hated being around him all the years after he'd destroyed his own mind.

Tate had other ideas though and his arms wound around his father pulling him back. "I was scared of losing you dad." He confessed before releasing his father from his hug. The two looked at each other smiling.

Fiddleford was the first one to break the happy silence that had settled between them. "I actually wanted ta see ya back at Bill's lair, but Ford had ta kick everyone out durin' the zodiac ritual."

"It's alright dad, I'm just glad you're safe." Tate replied. "I don't know what that whole zodiac thing was but it looks like it worked."

Fiddleford slightly winced at the comment. His son was blissfully unaware of the events that followed, but decided that now was not the best time to delve into the gritty details. "Not really. But I reckon somethin' or _someone_ else stumped Bill, that's fer sure."

Tate was going to ask him what he meant but stopped himself. He could find out later. There were more important things to say. "Listen, Dad, I..." He coughed and looked away before forcing himself to look back. He _was_ going to do this! He had to!

Tate tipped his hat upwards, revealing his deep blue eyes, so he could get a better look of his father. "I want to apologize for being such a lousy son. I shouldn't have shut you out the way I did. You needed me and I didn't want to know. I cared too much about what everyone else thought when you were yelling things. I should have listened and not just because it turned out you were right."

Fiddleford waved his apology away. "Now you listen here young man! You ain't got nothing to be sorry for!" His face dropped as he thought about some of the things he'd done while he wasn't in his right mind. He hadn't been any sort of father. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't a good father to ya, Tate. 'fact, it's only since I started getting my memories back, I realized just how lousy a parent I was."

Tate opened his mouth to disagree but Fiddleford knew any reassuring words his son could offer would be lies so he continued. "I ain't been a good dad since you were knee high to a grasshopper and I'm sure any memories you still have of me from then are tainted by what I became. There ain't anyone to blame for that but me. I was a coward who chose ta run from his problems rather than face 'em head on. I became an addict and I put my addiction before you 'til I lost my sanity. It wasn't fair on you nor your ma to watch me go downhill like that. If I'd been any sort of father, you'd'a come first. T'was only after I'd lost it all that I tried to get back in yer life an' I wasn't someone anyone would want around by then. I know I don't deserve forgiveness fer what I did or how I hurt ya, but if ya let me, I solemnly promise I'll do right by ya from now on."

"Oh dad..." Tate said, his voice cracking. "I'm just glad I got you back." He gave a quick kiss on his father's forehead before wrapping him in another heartfelt embrace. Fiddleford was shocked at his son's immediate forgiveness, but after moments of self-reflection he acknowledged how sincere Tate was during their reunion. The inventor accepted the hug, contentedly closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his son.

"I guess we both screwed up then, huh?" The younger McGucket mentioned, holding his father tight. "Dad...w-would it be alright with you if we got a fresh new start? I promise I won't push you away."

The old eccentric was amazed at his son's offer of a second chance. Fiddleford wanted nothing more than to be a supportive and loving father to his son and now was the opportunity to express that wish.

"So long as it's alright wit you, my lil' Tater-Tot." He accepted, gently rubbing smooth circles on his son's back in an effort to console him.

Pacifica felt a slight pang of jealousy as she looked at how happy Fiddleford and Tate were together. She was glad for them but at the same time it hurt seeing the sort of relationship she would never have with her own parents. She had felt the same way when she first saw how close Dipper and Mabel were. Even when she was at the Mystery Shack during Weirdmageddon, she wished that her parents were as dedicated and loving as Stan Pines was towards his niece and nephew.

At that moment, Pacifica noticed a large number of townsfolk, including the zodiac participants, approaching her and McGucket.

"Hey Mr. McG!" Wendy Corduroy hollered joyously. The redhead and her family were the first to reach him, followed by Soos Ramirez and his Abuelita. "I wanted to tell you how awesome the Shack-Tron turned out!"

"Well thank ya darlin'." Fiddleford replied sheepishly, not used to receiving such praise or any praise for that matter. He was more used to anger and aggression as a response to anything he made.

"The Shack-Tron?" Tate questioned aloud.

"It was all apart of Fiddleford's plan for the rescue mission." Pacifica explained to the confused man. "During Weirdmageddon, he led a group of injured survivors, including myself, to the Mystery Shack. And when we learned what Bill was doing to the other townsfolk, Fiddleford got all of the survivors to cooperate and build a giant robot that weakened Bill and brought us over to his castle to save Ford and everyone else!"

"Dad, you actually helped other people and led a full-on retaliation against that demented triangle?" Tate asked, astounded at the number of deeds his father had accomplished during the past few days.

"Well it wasn't all of my doin'," Fiddleford answered his son's inquiry. "I couldn't have done it without everyone's help back at the Mystery Shack, especially Soos's expansive knowledge on anime as a reference for the robot."

"Aw dude, it was nothing, but _do itashimashite_." Soos said blushing. "It was my duty to introduce you to it and I always knew my extensive knowledge of mecha and magical girl anime would come in handy some day."

"But I want to thank you for your major contribution towards saving the town." Wendy told Fiddleford sincerely. "Without your leadership and knowledge in robotics, Bill would still be around and we'd probably be fighting over cans of brown meat back at the Mystery Shack."

"Yeah, you managed to get everyone at the shack to work together, kicked some demon butt, and freed the other citizens from Bill's clutches. So you're, like, the MVP of the apocalypse dude!" Soos added enthusiastically.

"McGucket!" An amiable baritone voice called to him. The hillbilly noticed both Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, with their hands interlaced, approaching him.

"I want to personally thank you for leading the rescue mission. Because of your ingenious plan, everyone who was turned to stone was liberated and I was reunited with my beloved Durland." The Sheriff gave a swift peck on Durland's cheek.

"You're a real hero and you have our sincerest thanks!" The deputy added joyously.

"Everyone give it up for McGucket!" Soos declared, raising the bewildered inventor's bandaged arm up in the air as Wendy gestured her hands towards the old eccentric. The other townspeople immediately burst into thunderous applause, expressing their gratitude for Fiddleford's bravery and initiative during Weirdmageddon.

"I...I don't know how ta respond ta this." McGucket stammered. He was in disbelief that the citizens of Gravity Falls were actually cheering for him. He was so used to people ridiculing or jeering at him that all of the praise he was receiving seemed so unreal. Fiddleford knew that a few weeks ago he would have given anything for this kind of attention but now it felt almost overwhelming. Too many years of being chased and jeered at by angry mobs meant he didn't know what to do when he was surrounded by people who weren't laughing, angry or ignoring him. He blushed and pulled his beard up to hide his face.

Seeing his discomfort and stepping closer, Pacifica came to McGucket's rescue as she placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "You've done so much for everyone in this town Fiddleford." Pacifica told him gently, causing the maverick mechanic to carefully lower his unusual shield. "And because of your guidance and assistance, you deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and to be seen as the brilliant man that you are."

Fiddleford found himself beaming at her words. The southerner gave a short cry as Blubs and Durland lifted him on top of their shoulders. He wobbled momentarily before he felt two hands supporting his back.

"Don't worry dad, I'll make sure you don't fall over." Tate laughed from behind as he held his father up.

Fiddleford smiled at his son's sincere support, but he still felt uneasy being held up so high. The nervous man fervently glanced downwards for any sign of alleviation. Fortunately, he spotted Pacifica, who gave him a lighthearted smile and a thumbs up. Feeling relieved by the blonde's encouragement, Fiddleford allowed himself to accept the cheerful praise the townspeople showered him with.

Pacifica watched with content as McGucket was being paraded around the town center, finally being hailed as a hero among them. However, she was brought out of the pleasant sight when she heard her parents call out to her.

"Pacifica!"

Pacifica flinched. She knew those voices and turned to face her parents once more. Much to her surprise, her mother pulled her into a hug. Her father stood to the side but didn't chastise his wife for this public show of affection.

"Well done on defeating the demon. I'm sure I can convince the city council to erect a statue of you in honor of you saving the town. If I push we might even get a town holiday dedicated to you." Preston told his daughter in a formal voice. It was the closest thing to praise he'd ever got and Pacifica didn't want to correct him. She knew he'd find out soon but she'd let him think the circle had worked for now.

"We were so worried about you." Priscilla added still holding Pacifica close. It was the first time she'd been hugged her my her mother, not counting their reaction to Bill rearranging Preston's facial orifices.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm fine and the town is back to normal... _ish_." Pacifica said, blushing with happiness upon receiving grand adoration from her parents.

"Now now, let's all go back to the manor and hopefully try to repress all of the awful occurrences from the past week." Preston told his family.

Her mother and father took her hand in hand as they walked away from the town center. The young girl also saw Soos sprinting into the threshold of the woods. Maybe he's checking up on the Pines family. she thought, silently hoping that the close-knit family were alright.

As Pacifica was being led by her parents towards the family limousine, she deeply pondered to herself. _What if they experienced a change of heart during Weirdmageddon? Maybe they could become better, more supportive parents._ Pacifica felt a tiny spark of hope that they would change into decent human beings.

She knew her mother hadn't always been rich. Before marrying Preston, Priscilla had been a simple mud farmer. Pacifica wondered what her mother had been like before becoming a lady of leisure. She'd never known her grandparents on her mother's side. Neither of her parents ever spoke of them.

Maybe, since her father had been able to fall in love with a mud farmer's daughter and her mother came from what her father called 'the common stock' they could both learn to be a little kinder to others.

* * *

In retrospect, Pacifica felt too optimistic about her parents turning a new leaf.

Both Preston and Priscilla Northwest were still the same greedy dirtbags she'd always known. Her father actually mourned over the loss of his stocks and shares. While Pacifica had only just started to learn about the value of things, she knew far more about how money worked than was probably healthy for someone her age and she knew that they weren't by any stretch of the imagination poor.

Earlier that summer she'd been taken to see _The Dark Knight Rises_ because it was one of the many summer blockbusters that year and the most hyped film. Pacifica had laughed at the ridiculousness of the movie, not at how someone could dress up as a bat and fight themed supervillains but at how the movie treated money. Bruce Wayne had lost all his stocks and shares in a terrorist attack and then was apparently completely broke. He went from a millionaire to having the bank sell off Wayne manor a few days later to cover his debts. Real life didn't work like that.

Even though her father filed for bankruptcy for his three major businesses (Northwest Realty, Northwest Mudflap Factory, and Northwest Weather Vanes), he and her mother parents didn't have any other debts. They still had savings in banks all over the world (she was almost certain they had Nazi war gold in a safe in Sweden), they had trust funds, held a Swiss bank account, they owned a lot of antique furniture and expensive art that could be turned into liquid assets at almost a moment's notice. Despite her father investing all their stocks and shares in Bill's invasion - Pacifica wasn't even sure how that worked, you couldn't just say "I invest all my money in this!" and have it happen - her parents weren't poor.

None of these facts meant anything to her parents though because, to them, they were no longer rich enough. The manor was put up for sale in an attempt to increase the family fortune. On the bright side, someone did purchase the manor within two days' time. Unfortunately for Preston and Priscilla, Fiddleford McGucket, the former town kook, bought their home after receiving millions of dollars from selling his patents to the United States government.

Pacifica was personally livid with her parents, as they still referred to McGucket as 'that dirty hillbilly', 'low-class scoundrel' or 'crazy old hick'. She tried to confront her parents on their poor choice of words to describe Fiddleford. Pacifica had pointed out that Fiddleford had done far more than her to save the town from Bill and his minions. In response to her valid explanation, Preston simply used the bell. Even though Pacifica overcame the bell's power, she gritted her teeth in frustration. He then informed her that it didn't matter because nobody would want to see a statue of 'that crazy old fool' and had been telling anyone who'd listen that his beautiful precious daughter had single-handedly saved Gravity Falls from destruction despite everyone knowing it was a lie. Pacifica then realised that he'd only cared about her 'saving the town' because it made the Northwest's look good.

She pushed those horrid thoughts in the back of her mind. Now she was at Dipper and Mabel's 13th birthday party and all she wanted was to have a good time.

It was a few minutes after Stan Pines announced his retirement and crowned Soos as 'Mr. Mystery' that she grabbed a can of Pitt Cola from the refreshments table. After taking a sip of the soda, she ventured out into the crowd of other party-goers in the hopes of finding some familiar faces she could potentially make small-talk with.

Within a minute Pacifica found Fiddleford conversing with Soos. The southerner seemed to enjoy himself with the now fez-headed man. The young girl was unsure if she should make her presence known since she did not want to interrupt whatever conversation the two were having. However, blue eyes behind green spectacles brightly lit up when they detected the young blonde girl.

"Howdy Pacifica!" Fiddleford hollered eagerly, gesturing with his right hand for her to join in. Soos also happily motioned for the girl to come over.

"Hey Fiddleford, Soos." She greeted. "Oh Soos, congratulations on your promotion to manager of the Mystery Shack."

"Aww, thanks dude!"

Pacifica nodded at the new Mr. Mystery. "And how are things with you two?"

"Things are goin' wonderful!" Fiddleford replied happily. "Soos an' I were just havin' a delightful discussion about his anime collection!"

"Really?" Pacifica questioned, her curiosity piqued at the unusual topic.

"Oh yeah, I've been filling this guy in on all of my favorite anime titles!" Soos answered contentedly. The portly man slightly turned his head towards Fiddleford. "So dude, if you ever wanna come over my place and marathon _Neon Crisis Mechabot Boy: Revelations_ , just say the word!"

"Will do!" Fiddleford cheerfully responded. "Although, do ya still need me to take notes on the show?"

"Nah, all I need is 900 hours of your time though." Soos answered casually.

"Well I have all the time in the world, so just let me know! Oh, an' my door will also be open if ya wanna watch some anime in my new shed!"

"Sweet!" Soos cheered. He then realized that he had other vital news he wanted to share with the bearded eccentric. "Oh Fiddleford, I wanted to ask you something important. Since, I'm like, the new head of the Mystery Shack and all, I just realized that I can't complete my usual maintenance work cause I'll be super busy with doing group tours and other manager stuff. I'm also planning on hiring my girlfriend Melody to help run the gift shop alongside Wendy. And since you're like, incredibly knowledgeable in mechanics and engineering, I was wondering if you would be interested in becoming the new handyman for the shack? I understand if you're too busy with your inventions and patents."

Fiddleford was stunned at Soos's business offer. It had been over thirty years since he was employed for his expertise in mechanical engineering (not counting Gideon and constructing his giant robot of doom), and he remembered how terribly that turned out. However, the Mystery Shack seemed much more promising in comparison since it was a family-friendly tourist destination as opposed to a dangerous transuniversal polydimensional meta-vortex or any destructive robot.

"I'd love to Soos!" Fiddleford answered. "I was actually plannin' on donatin' a good portion of the money I made over ta the Mystery Shack anyways, but it would be an honor workin' fer ya!"

"Thank you so much dude!" Soos spoke with sincere gratitude.

"Yer welcome!"

Pacifica lightly tapped Fiddleford's arm to get his attention. The old man looked over to see the young girl. "And Fiddleford," Pacifica spoke up, "I wanted to congratulate you on buying the manor. I'm really happy that you were able to find a stable home to live in."

"Aww, well thank you darlin'." Fiddleford sweetly replied while gently ruffling her hair. Pacifica tried to roll her eyes, but was ultimately unable to fight the smile that appeared on her face.

Soos smiled at the tender moment, but was interrupted by his cell phone vibrating in his left pocket. His eyes widened with excitement when he looked at the caller ID. "Melody!" He quickly turned towards the his two friends "I'm sorry guys, my girlfriend's calling and I gotta take this, but I'll see you dudes around!" As he turned around, he answered the call. "Hey Melody! Listen, I have a really sweet business proposal I know you're gonna love dude, but it's gonna take a while to explain why I can give you this offer. Clear the rest of you day, this is gonna be a long story..."

After Soos made his exit, Pacifica decided to keep the conversation with McGucket going. "So Fiddleford, what have you been up to lately?" The young girl asked with interest.

"A lot has happened over the past few days actually." He answered. "I've been livin' with Tate at his house, where we've been catchin' up on things an' as of now our relationship is on the mend! But beforehand, Ford visited me as I was gatherin' my things at the junkyard, but I was too overjoyed with his presence and we ended up chattin' fer hours! It was quite the reunion ta say the least. Ford noted the pile of scrap paper, which were really nothin' more than doodles of my invention ideas. However he was impressed by 'em an' suggested that I should submit my scribbles over ta the U.S. government. He said that it would improve my financial sit-e-ation. So I decided ta take his word on it. I also told my son about sellin' my doodles an' he was really encouragin' about it as well. An' despite my initial doubts, I sold my blueprints to the U.S. government an' I actually made some money off of 'em!"

"Understatement of the century." Pacifica remarked smiling.

"I was also busy helpin' the Pines family the past couple days. Dipper an' Ford informed me about Stan's memory loss an' I've been assistin' him with dealin' wit the side effects of havin' been exposed to the memory gun. Stan already had some of his memory back thanks ta Mabel an' her scrapbook, but he still needed some help wit recollectin' other things pertainin' to his life. As of now he regained most of his memory back, even to his life before arrivin' in Gravity Falls. I'm really happy that Stan was able ta make so much progress over a short amount 'a time. It's not surprising really, he lost all his memories in one go rather than slowly over time so he didn't alienate people while it happened an' he got help rememberin' straight away."

"That's good to hear." Pacifica said with sincerity. The girl glanced back at Fiddleford only to see the man looking very apprehensive, nervously wringing his beard and biting his lip.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked with concern.

Fiddleford released a long sigh before speaking. "Pacifica, even though I just bought myself the new shed ta reside in, I wanna apologize fer takin' yer home away from you an' yer parents, an-"

"And by 'taking' you mean 'rightfully purchased with your own, hard-earned money', than it's alright." She reassured him. "I'm not too upset over it, unlike my _parents_. Sure I'm going to miss having two of my horses around, but I'll find some way to cope with the loss."

"But...I can't help but feel bad fer what I've done ta ya..."

"Don't be." Pacifica sternly stated. "My parents sold the place even though they technically didn't need to. Honestly, they probably deserved to lose a lot more as punishment for being greedy anyways. I mean, my dad put a majority of his wealth in _'weirdness bonds'_ , and for what, a chance to become a horseman of the _apocalypse_? I mean, who in their right mind would do that?!" Pacifica paused her exaggerated gesticulations upon noticing how overly animated she became during her explanation. Pulling her hands together, the girl inhaled through her nose and sighed before talking in a calmer tone. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't want any pity from anyone, especially from you. I'll try to find a way to deal with my current situation, so don't worry too much about me, okay? I'm just really happy for you, now that you have a reliable income and stable roof over your head."

Fiddleford was surprised and relieved to hear Pacifica's counter-argument. It couldn't have been an easy transition for her, she'd been used to living in the lap of luxury all her life. Maybe it was her family's stubbornness that made her refuse to buckle under adversity. Despite any personal feelings she might feel about her wealthy lifestyle, he could tell that she really was happy for him. However the old eccentric wanted to reassure her that he would be there for her if things got tough.

"Pacifica darlin', I just wanna let you know that if you need any help at all, my doors will always be open fer ya if you ever wanna drop by." Fiddleford warmly told her.

Touched by the sincerity of the inventor's words, Pacifica gave Fiddleford a well-meaning hug.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Yer welcome dear."

Pacifica slowly released herself from the embrace and was about to open her mouth to begin some small talk when she heard a friendly voice from behind. "Hey you two!" Pacifica and Fiddleford turned around and discovered Wendy smiling at them. "You guys enjoying the party?"

"We sure are!" Fiddleford joyfully answered. Pacifica nodded in agreement towards the redhead.

"Cool! So listen," Wendy showcased her clipboard that held a folded piece of paper filled with colorful signatures surrounding the phrase _**See You Next Summer**_. The teen also presented them with a handful of thin colored markers. "I figured that Dipper should have a little memento of Gravity Falls to take with him back to his hometown. I've been collecting signatures for the past few days, and I was wondering if you both could sign your names on here as well?"

"Of course!" Pacifica replied, taking a pink marker from the lot.

"I'd love to!" Fiddleford added, picking out a light green marker.

The two of them took turns signing their names on the letter. Once they were finished, Wendy quickly shoved her clipboard into her backpack. "Thank you guys." Fortunately for the redhead, she cleared away her surprise in time as Dipper and Mabel approached the three.

"Hello!" Mabel cheerfully greeted the group, pulling Pacifica into a friendly side hug.

"So what's everyone up to?" Dipper happily asked the group.

"Not a whole lot, just chit-chatting and stuff." Wendy answered. "I have to check up on something inside the shack, but I'll find you guys in a bit!"

"Okay!" Dipper and Mabel nodded before turning their heads towards Fiddleford.

"Mr. McGucket, thanks again for assisting Grunkle Stan with the his memory-loss side effects." Dipper said with genuine gratitude.

"It really means a lot to us that you're able to help him out." Mabel added, her arm still wrapped around Pacifica.

"Aww shucks, I'm glad ta be there fer Stanley." Fiddleford said humbly. "You kids helped me out over the summer, an' you know that I'm always more than happy ta support the Pines family!"

"And thank you for the awesome b-day gift Pacifica!" Mabel beamed at the blonde.

"Thanks Pacifica!" Dipper added, showcasing the _Ghost Harassers_ DVD she gave him before stowing it away inside his vest pocket.

"You're both welcome. So, uh Mabel," Pacifica spoke as she was released from the side hug. "would you want your llama sweater back soon?"

"Nah," Mabel replied, gesturing with her right hand. "You can keep it! I already have a bagillion other sweaters. Plus, that sweater suits you. Someone once told me that llamas are nature's fiercest warriors."

"Who told you that?" She inquired.

"I'm not entirely sure actually...but the sweater does match with your outgoing personality!"

"Alright then, I guess I'll keep it." Pacifica affirmed. "Lord knows I'm gonna need it during the winter time."

"So what's Gravity Falls like during the winter season anyways?" Dipper asked with sincere intrigue.

"Frigid and miserable." Pacifica answered flatly. "It's boring too since hardly any tourists come."

"The weather gets mighty chilly durin' the winter," Fiddleford added, briefly remembering the many cold winters spent shivering inside his fragile makeshift shack in the town dump. "Not ta mention all of the large amounts of snow we get."

"Wait a minute, where are you from anyways?" Pacifica asked.

"California." Dipper answered.

"We live about thirty minutes away from San Francisco." Mabel added.

"Ugh, lucky! You two should consider yourselves very fortunate for not having to deal with the horrible winter weather here in Gravity Falls."

"I'll remember that the next time I complain about the weather in my hometown." Dipper noted. "Though I'm still going to try and convince mom and dad to let us spend winter vacation here. Snow ball fights and a Christmas card setting sound like a nice excuse to come back."

Just as Pacifica was about to continue the conversation, Candy and Grenda approached the small group.

"Mabel!" Candy greeted.

The sweatered girl joyfully turned to her best friends. "Hey girls! So what's up?"

"We're setting up the piñata and we need your help." Grenda answered.

"Awesome! I'll be there in a minute." Mabel responded.

The recently-declared teenager grabbed her pink book and approached both Pacifica and Fiddleford."Oh, before I go, would you guys sign my summer scrapbook? And maybe put in your phone numbers or email addresses? I was hoping that maybe Dipper and I can still keep in touch with everyone in Gravity Falls after the summer's over."

"Yeah," Pacifica and Fiddleford said as they write their signatures and contact information on the open page.

"Thank you guys so much!" Mabel said gratefully.

"Sure thing Mabel." Pacifica replied. The blonde was really fortunate to have been encountered and befriended by Mabel over the summer. Even though the two girls each had their less-than-idealistic first impressions towards one another, they both proved to be quite the team when it came to fighting against sinister supernatural creatures.

As Mabel joined Candy and Grenda in setting up the piñata, Dipper turned his attention toward the young blonde. "Hey Pacifica, I learned about what happened with you and your folks, and I wanted to say-"

Pacifica put her hand up near Dipper's face, halting the boy. "Don't even say it. I know you feel bad, but you would be putting a damper on our friendship if you started pitying me."

"Oh, so we are friends you say?" Dipper smirked slyly.

"Don't make this any weirder than it already is." She mentioned, hoping that the redness in her cheeks weren't easily noticeable. "I can go off people you know."

"I'm just messing with you." Dipper replied. "But seriously, are you doing okay?"

Pacifica was surprised by the boy's concern for her well-being. "Yeah. I'll get through this predicament somehow." She told him. "But I have to admit, I'm going to miss seeing you around."

"Same here." Dipper agreed. "Despite the bad first few meetings, I'm glad I got to learn how much of a good person you are Pacifica."

"Well don't tell anyone! I don't think my parents would ever forgive me if they found out!" She half joked.

Pacifica briefly reminisced over the night Dipper and her encountered the lumberjack ghost over at Northwest Manor. Even though the two initially despised each other, they learned to work as a team to capture the ghost in the magic mirror. She really liked having Dipper around. She'd never really had a friend before and hadn't been sure if that's what they were at the time but it was the closest she'd come to one. She'd wanted to tell him the truth surrounding the ghost but she also did not want him to think less of her, so she listened to her father's instructions and stayed quiet.

Later on that evening as the ghost wreaked havoc on the party, Pacifica hid herself in her parent's secret room, surrounding herself by the dreadful images of all of the Northwests before her. She knew her ancestors weren't even ashamed of what they'd done. They had kept the documents and even commissioned expensive portraits commemorating their underhanded deeds. They were proud of what they'd done to stay at the top with everyone else beneath them. They hide what they'd done, not out of shame but to keep up a respectable face in public.

Looking around the room Pacifica found the file Dipper had given her, tangible proof that her ancestor, Nathaniel Northwest, did not found Gravity Falls. Her father had simply put them there as another reminder of what their family would do for power and she was just a mere link in the long line of the worst family ever. However, Dipper managed to find her, apologized for his actions and reassured her that she was able to rise above the expectations firmly planted by her parents. His words of encouragement motivated her to defy her parents' and the abhorrent bell, and break the family curse once and for all. By the end of that night, Pacifica and Dipper became good friends and she learned to become more independent from her parents.

"So, I'm not the worst?" She asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Well now that you mention it, I'd say you're maybe...the third to worst. You were number four but since Bill's dead, you got bumped up!" He replied with a snarky grin.

"You jerk!" She giggled, playfully jabbing the boy's arm. Dipper gave a hearty chuckle at Pacifica's reaction to his wisecrack.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, running towards the boy along with Candy and Grenda. "Candy found this hilarious cat video on her phone and you have to see it!"

"You're not Rick-Rolling me again are you?" He inquired in an exasperated tone.

"Nope! It's a cute cartoon about colorful cats in a marching band!" Mabel responded.

"I figure you'd appreciate it since features both cats and musical instruments." Candy suggested.

"And it's super adorable!" Grenda added.

"Okay, okay." Dipper said, allowing himself to be taken away by his sister and her friends. He waved at Pacifica before resigning himself to his fluffy fate.

"And look at 'em go!" Stan joked, seeing his niece and nephew run off to who knows where. Stan was happily walking alongside his brother Ford when they approached Pacifica and Fiddleford. The blonde noticed the con man carrying a small bag in his right hand.

"Ford!" Fiddleford exclaimed, giving the researcher an affectionate hug. "How are ya doin' old friend?"

"I'm doing very well actually." The researcher responded, giving his twin a knowing smile. "And you?"

"Why I'm about as happy as a bumble bee in spring!" Fiddleford said in his usual upbeat voice.

Stan turned his head towards Pacifica. "How are things goin' blondie?"

"I'm doing alright." She answered. "I do have a name you know, and it's Pacifica."

"Really?" He with a confused expression on his face."I'm not sure if I remember you telling me that..." The young blonde guiltily glanced downwards, aware of Stan's recent memory loss. It was only moments later when she heard him laugh.

"I'm just kiddin'," Stan reminded her. "I know your name Pacifica, I just wanted to mess around. No harm done, right?"

"Sure." She sighed, giving the old con man a wry smile.

Fiddleford was released from Ford's hug before he spoke to the businessman. "An' Stanley, are ya doin' alright?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty well considering how much help you and Ford gave to me." Stan said gruffly, while nervously scratching the back of his neck. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for giving you two such a hard time a few days ago..."

"It's alright Stanley," Fiddleford reassured. "You were in a bad place an' I understand how upset you were then."

"But that's no excuse for how I treated you though. I made a lot of mistakes in my life before I lost my memory and I think it's about time I start making up for them." Stan argued. He placed the bag down as he continued to speak. "I want to properly thank you for everything you did, with helping me out during Weirdmageddon as well as your assistance with my memory retrieval, so I want you to have this." He grabbed the red _CHIEF_ sash, showcasing the tattered attire before the inventor.

"Stanley..." Fiddleford whispered in awe.

"I found it around the shack the other day, thinkin' it must have been yours. But when I showed it to the kids they told me otherwise. Soon afterwards I received more flashbacks to the first few days of Weirdmageddon. I remembered how you led those stragglers to the shack, successfully retrieved a surplus of food from the bunker to everyone, led Ford's rescue mission, and brought everyone together into building that giant robot from the shack. So thank you for all the help Fiddleford."

Stan gently placed the sash around the southerner's small frame, giving him a soft smile. "I figured the sash would look much better on you."

"So Fiddleford, you actually accomplished all of those things?" Ford inquired with a surprised smile, astonished that his friend could pull off so many feats in such a short time frame, and during Weirdmageddon no less.

"He sure did." Stan answered for the inventor with confidence. "Without his help, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Moved by the con man's kind gesture, Fiddleford pulled Stan into a great hug.

"Take it easy there," Stan muttered, bewildered by the southerner's affectionate display of gratitude. He reluctantly patted Fiddleford on the back, trying to deal with the awkwardness of someone who wasn't family hugging him. Ford chuckled at the sweet moment, happy that both his twin brother and his best friend were on good terms with each other.

Pacifica also smiled. It was nice to see everyone getting along for once. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere and all it took was the end of the world and her parents losing some of their money.

Unfortunately, her happiness was short lived. Pacifica felt her phone buzz in her pocket with a text that would pop her happy bubble.

 _We're almost at the Mystery Shack to pick you up from the commoner gathering. We purchased our poor person's car and we'll be moving into our ramshackle house we bought on the outskirts of town._

Pacifica soured at the curt message from her father. The poor person's car was a modest sudan and they were going to be moving into a nice two-story house just near the town's border. She wished her parents didn't make such a big deal out of their new standard of living, but her parents were elitists who wanted nothing but the best. Sighing to herself, she approached Fiddleford to wish him goodbye. "Hey Fiddleford." She addressed to the southerner.

He immediately took note of her sudden drop in mood. "Are you alright dear?"

"Yeah, I have to get going since my parents are picking me up shortly." She sighed knowing she was probably going to get a lecture about going to Dipper and Mabel's birthday party and feeling apprehensive about whatever it was they wanted to tell her. "But I'll definitely see you soon."

Fiddleford nodded and patted her on her shoulder reassuringly. "Of course, and if ya need to talk, you know where ta find me!"

"I will." She nodded, giving him a small smile. The car horn from the white sudan alerted the girl of her parents' arrival. Her parents were already sour about their daughter mingling with the common folk, but she could care less about what they thought. Pacifica decided they could wait a little longer and ran off to say goodbye to Dipper and Mabel.

Pacifica was comforted by the strong connections she had made over the summer and during Weirdmaggedon. She even realized how capable she has become working with her hands, and wants to utilize her skills in a productive manner, even if her folks won't approve. But she doesn't care about what they think. Their reckless financial decisions resulted in them becoming 'not as rich as they previously were'. Maybe they'll get used to their new lifestyles, maybe not. But if worse comes to worse, she could count on Fiddleford to help her out.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 _ **So this concludes the first part of Newfound Family, and the sequel "Bustin' Makes Us Feel Good" will be posted soon. If you want to read the original storyline I had planned, I have them up on AO3. The story there is marked for seven chapters, and the last five chapters of the story will be marked as abandoned chapters, since I have scrapped the original storyline entirely. I will keep them up if you want to read what I originally planned.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading!**_


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